HM Land Registry is digitising its process for registering and updating applications.
The non-ministerial department, which is part of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), is now able to accept digital applications rather than be restricted to PDF documents.
The Croydon, South London, headquartered department is responsible for the registration of property across England and Wales, and its databases hold and guarantee the title to freehold and leasehold property.
HM Land Registry has completed the modernisation of the Business Gateway platform and customer portal to allow digital land registrations. Data for the registration is entered directly into the Land Registry system, checked for errors and simultaneously, the fee calculation is made.
Testing of the new system began in April 2021, with over 100,000 applications being submitted. The Land Registry said it would continue customer engagement as part of the further development of digital services.
“By validating applications automatically prior to submission, the new process reduces errors, meaning fewer applications are sent back to our customers for clarification or more information, which is always a source of frustration for all involved,” said chief executive and chief land registrar of HM Land Registry, Simon Hayes.
Elements of the caseworker review can now be automated, speeding up or removing many of the manual tasks traditionally required to process an application, enabling quicker service times in the future. Automation will free up caseworkers to spend more time on complex cases, which should benefit customers.
“We are currently seeing a 25% drop in requisitions where digital applications are being used for charge/transfer and transfer-only applications – and we expect that to improve even further,” HM Land Registry said in a statement.
Image from iStock, Francesco Scatena
